Brick Repointing in Kensington

Brick and stucco: the two faces of a Kensington house

Walk along almost any street in Kensington and you will see two kinds of front. The white stucco terraces that the Royal Borough is known for are brick underneath, coated in a smooth render that was first meant to pass for stone. Next to them stand late Victorian houses and mansion blocks in red brick and terracotta, with mews tucked behind and garden squares in between. That mix carries on from South Kensington across to Earl's Court.

The two faces wear in different ways. On bare brick, the mortar joints go first. Once they have weathered back, rain lodges in the wall instead of running down it. Repointing removes the failed mortar and packs the joints again, so the brickwork sheds water as it should. On stucco, trouble starts with fine cracks and with hollow patches where the render has let go of the brick behind. A rendering repair closes those gaps before water becomes trapped under the surface.

It is also worth knowing that the back of a house often needs the work before the front does. A stucco front tends to be painted and looked after because everyone sees it. The rear is usually plain brick, carries most of the downpipes and waste pipes, and has a back addition with three sides open to the weather. Mortar there can be badly worn while the street side still looks smart, which is why we check every elevation on a site visit.

Brick Repointing in Kensington

CRB Group carries out house repointing in Kensington for homeowners, landlords and commercial clients, from a single garden wall to every side of a house. We repoint full house elevations, boundary walls, chimneys and parapets, and we work on listed and heritage buildings. The old mortar is taken out with care and replaced with new mortar that is matched in colour to the joints around it. Traditional methods are used where the building requires them. Our brick repointing page sets out each stage.

We provide rendering as well. Render keeps rain off the wall behind it, adds a little insulation and gives a clean, even finish. Where existing render has cracked or come loose, the damaged area can be cut back and made good to blend with what surrounds it. Read more on our house repointing and rendering page.

Roof Repairs in Kensington

Many Kensington roofs cannot be seen from the pavement. Slate slopes hide behind parapets, mansion blocks combine pitched and flat areas, and mews houses have low roofs that are overlooked from above but rarely inspected. Faults therefore tend to be found late. Leaks, slipped or cracked slates and tiles, failed lead flashing and faults along the gutter line are all repairs we carry out, and if a storm does the damage we can make an emergency roof repair. Our roof repairs page has the details.

Chimney Repairs in Kensington

A chimney stack is the most exposed brickwork on any house, so its mortar usually gives out before the walls below it. Stacks can be repointed, rebuilt or taken down, pots capped, and the flashings at the base of the stack renewed in lead. The same team looks after box gutters and lead valleys. Our chimneys and leadwork page lists the repairs in full. If scaffolding is going up for repointing, that is the sensible time to have the chimneys looked at too.

Property Refurbishment for Kensington Homes

Outside repairs are often one part of a larger project. Our property refurbishment service brings the trades together: structural improvements first, then plastering, tiling and flooring, new kitchens and bathrooms, and painting and decorating to finish, with roof and chimney repairs added where they are needed. For work that needs permission we can assist with surveys, architectural drawings and the planning application itself, and we can manage the project. That matters in a borough where conservation areas cover roughly 70 per cent of the land. Our property refurbishment page explains more.

Damp Proofing for Kensington Houses and Basements

Failed pointing and cracked render are two of the commonest reasons for penetrating damp, so wall repairs and damp treatment frequently belong together. Our damp work starts with a survey and inspection and runs to external wall treatments, injected damp proof courses, ventilation upgrades, and tanking or membranes for rooms below ground. A survey tells you which of rising damp, penetrating damp or condensation you are dealing with. Our damp proofing page describes each one.

Flat Roofing for Kensington Houses and Mansion Blocks

Back additions, roof terraces and the upper levels of mansion blocks are mostly flat roofed. We lay EPDM rubber, felt, torch on and GRP fibreglass roofs for houses and commercial premises, and we repair them. Typical repairs are a leak that needs finding and sealing, a blister or tear in the surface, a weak joint or edge, and poor drainage. Our flat roofing page compares the systems.

A New Roof in Kensington

For a roof beyond repair we carry out complete reconstructions and new installations, pitched or flat, in slate or tile. Tile matching and heritage roof restoration are part of that work. Scaffolding for a new roof comes from our own stock and is put up without charge. Take a look at our roofing page.

Facias Replacement for Kensington Mews Houses

Gutters on a mews house or a rear addition hang from fascia boards. A dripping gutter joint washes the mortar out of the brickwork beneath it, and that is a frequent reason for one patch of pointing failing ahead of the wall around it. We replace gutters and downpipes or repair them, clear and realign runs that hold water, and fit new soffits, fascias, bargeboards and box ends in uPVC. Our fascias, soffits and guttering page gives the full list.

Questions about repointing in Kensington

How is the new mortar matched to the old?

We look at the existing mortar in a sheltered spot where it is still sound, then mix the new mortar to match its colour. Fresh mortar changes shade as it dries, so a repair is best judged once it has had time to settle. On older walls we use traditional methods where they are required.

Is consent needed to repoint in a conservation area?

Like for like repair, with the same mortar colour and joint finish, does not usually need planning permission. A listed building is different, and so is any work that changes how a wall looks, such as rendering or painting bare brick. Some streets have extra controls. Ask the Royal Borough's planning team before work is booked.

Can one elevation be done at a time?

Yes. Each elevation is a separate piece of work, so the rear can be repointed in one visit and the front left for another. We would start with the face that is in the poorest condition, and that is often the back.